Held by the Past

Shadows I

rian's grip on her hand was unyielding, his fingers wrapped tightly around hers, pulling her through the dense forest that surrounded the ruins

hanging in the air. It wasn't just the ruin that had crumbled-it was something else, something deeper. Elena could feel it i

crack of a branch. He knew as well as she did that they weren't safe yet. The Collector had warned th

an muttered, his voice tense. "

arting to wane, and the shard's power was beginning to feel like an anchor, weighing her down with its co

n her body going rigid. Adrian did the same, his grip on his sword tightening, ready to strike at a

her chest. Her mind raced, trying to process the sound, trying to place what i

n't a

kin was a sickly gray, slick and glistening like oil. Its limbs were long and spindly, its fingers tipped with sharp claws that

is sword raised. "Stay back," he

grinned, a horrifying expression that seemed to stretch too

ight of its words settle over her. This wasn't just a

eature

t, dodging his blow with unnatural grace. It twisted in midair, its claws swiping toward Adrian's chest with deadly prec

an shouted, his vo

forest, away from the fight, away from the danger. The sound of the battle fade

s going, only that she needed to get away from the creature, from the terror that it brought. But no matter how fast sh

Adrian. Elena's heart stuttered in her chest.

shallow. She could hear the clash of metal against flesh, the growls of the creature echoing thr

ew feet away from him, his breath ragged and labored. Blood stained his clothes, his f

his gaze flickering up to meet hers,

hand pulsed with an energy unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was as if the very essence of her being was tied to

lena raised the shard and thrust it forward, releasing every ounce of power she had gathered. The air ar

by the shard pulsed outward in waves, sweeping across the forest like a tidal wave. The trees trembled,

she felt herself losing control, slipping into a void. Her body shook, her limbs trembling with the effort of maintai

ressive weight lifting from her chest. The creature was gone, disintegrated into no

ous. The world around her was spinning, her mind unraveling from the strain of the spell. But

d his bloodied shoulder. His face was pale, his body slac

d, more to herself than to him. She didn'

of his skin as she tried to lift him. It was like carrying a dead weight. She could feel th

t

rching for shelter, a place to rest, to heal. But when she finally found a small cave

The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over, her sobs rac

ered through her tears. "I

She would fight for him. She would fight for them both.

d never stop. And

nst her chest, the rise and fall of his chest a faint reassurance that he was still alive. The forest outside was shrouded in darkness, the wind h

ow, not when Adrian needed her most. The shard, still pulsing weakly in her grip, felt like an anchor, dragging her deeper into the abyss of un

fingers, her heart aching at the sight of the bloodstains and bruises that marred his once-pristine features. His lips were parted slightly,

ing had stopped, leaving them in this small, fragile moment. Her thoughts were a blur, but one thing stood clear-this fight wasn't just abo

uddenly broke

she scanned the darkness around her. She hadn't

ed it wasn't the wind. It was something else-something alive. She stood u

and before she could react, a f

into the cave. It was tall, almost towering, with a sleek, shadowy form that seemed to absorb the ligh

ature's lips curled into a sinister smile, its yell

rooned, its voice low and mocking. "The Collector'

o way of defending herself-only the shard. But even with its power,

t she stood her ground, her hand tightly clutch

hat was promised. The shard, of course. The power that comes with it. And when I have

is words, the darkness behind them. She couldn't let h

never leaving hers, and Elena knew she had no c

r crackled with energy as the shard pulsed in her hand, its light flickering to life. She didn't

p the cave. The creature hissed, its form recoiling from the p

lipping away, the power fading like a dying ember. The

"Did you truly think your magic could stop me? The Coll

uld react, the

for her throat, but just as the blow was about t

g into it with incredible force. The creature staggered, i

n shouted, his voice

len, its energy now flickering back to life, weaker than before but still potent. With all the strength she

pure energy, a burst of light that seemed to shatter the darkness around them. The cre

m disintegrated into nothingness, its final screams echoi

. She fell to her knees beside Adrian, who was still struggling to catch hi

her voice filled with relief

eak smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes

termination that had carried them this far. Th

d, his voice stronger now, despite t

d not let this be the end. Not for Adrian. No

shard still glowing faintly in Elena's hand.

low as the reality of what had just happened settled in. Adrian's side was still bleeding, though the wound was no longer gushing. She had to focus-

ers. It wasn't the first time they had faced danger, but this felt different. The Collector was a name they had heard in whispers-an enemy that few had faced and lived

once-bright light now a dim glow that cast an eerie pall over everything around them. The power it held was st

e idea. They couldn't keep running with the shard in this state, especially not with the

d. "There's a cabin a few miles from here. We'll have to

uries weighed on them, even as their bodies screamed for rest, there was no question in her mind that they would keep going. The shards, the

e the battle's aftermath, the air still seemed thick with an unnatural stillness. She couldn't shake the

skin. The forest around them seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance, the trees swaying ominously as if they were aliv

rush. Each rustle of leaves, each crack of a twig underfoot, ha

d," Elena murmured, her voic

eaching for his sword, though Elena knew it would do little a

sounds their breath and the wind howling around them. Elena's mind raced, trying to anticipate what the Collector wanted, what the shards were truly capable of. She ha

weathered structure nestled at the edge of the forest-but it would have to do. The walls creaked

. The cabin was sparse, with only a small hearth and a table in the corner. There was a bed in

energy it radiated was faint, almost as if it was struggling to stay alive. She didn't know how much longer

is side was deep, but it seemed to have stopped bleeding for now. Elena moved to his side, her hands gentle as she inspected the wo

uietly, her voice filled with c

as pale. "We don't have time. The Co

afford to let their guard down. But seeing him like this, bloodied and exhausted, made her stomach t

ves. "Then we need a plan," she said, her voice steady desp

the other shards. We need to piece th

dn't know. So much they still needed to understand. But one thing was clear-the Collecto

d," she said, her voice firm. "W

lled with a mixture of gratitude and determinatio

essing down on them, Elena knew they would face whatever came next-not as individual